Controlling apparatus for oil wells



Dec. 6, 1927.

G. A. MONTGOMERY ET AL CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR OIL WELLS Filed Aug.28, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l w fifW Tfi-mafl Z I W w w w a r A M 1 MM fl..Hl ..l a, w y m Dec. 6, 1927.

G. A. MONTGOMERY ET AL CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR OIL WELLS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1924 Ira/0:117:21; 06 .EM, M 4m PatentedDec. 6, 1927. L

UNITED STATES y 1. 51. 1 PATENT OFF-ICE.

evs'rAvus A. uonreoun'mr; or TI'IJUSVILLE, rnNnsYLv NIA, AND nnnms 1..parscom, or ALHAMBRA, cALn'onNIA, ASSIGNOBS ro rrrnsvrnm roses COMPANY,or 'rrrusvrnm, PENNSYLVANIA, AconroaA'rron F MARYLAND.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR OIL WELLS.-

/ Application filed August 28, 1924. Serial No. 734,744.

This invention relates to a controlling apparatus designed moreparticularl for u'se in connection with oil and gas wel drlll ng.

Its chief object is to provide an eflicient I and reliable apparatus ofthis character which will prevent the oil and gas from shooting out atthe mouth of the well during drilling operations and bringing m a well.Another object of the inventlon is to so construct the apparatus that itwill prevent the accidental displacement or forcing of the oil-pipe orstring out of the well should undue oil or gas pressure be encounteredduring drilling, and thereby provide a safeguard against accidents andinjury to the workmen.

A still further object is the provision of a comparatively simple andadjustable apparatus of this character which is so organized thatadditional sections may be added to the oil-string from time to time asthe drilling operations proceed without interfering or in any wayobstructing the circulation of mud laden fluid through the drill string.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of the improved apparatusshown in position in an oil well, Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentaryvertical section of the oil string control head and associated parts.Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sec tional elevation of thedrill-string control penetrate one or more strata of oil sands,-

which have a relatively high pressure flow of oil or gas, beforeencountering the main oil sand where the well is to be finished. Duringthe time while these thin oil sands are being passed and when the wellis finally finished, it is necessary to control the flow of oil and gasso that the operations can proceed without interfering with the menworking at the well. For this purpose, we provide suitable controllingdevices between the water-string, oil string and drill-string whichprevent the oil and gas from shooting out at the mouth of the well andwhich direct these elements into appropriate receptacles or sump holeswhere they can be taken care of in any approved manner.

Referring now to the drawings, 10 indicates the floor of the derrickupon which the rotary drilling mechanism (not shown) is mounted and 11indicates the collar of the. well in which our improved controllingapparatus is mounted. r

12 indicates the well casing or water string which may be made up of aplurality of p1pe-sections in the usual manner and which is cemented atits bottom as shown at 13, in the well-hole to exclude the flow of waterinto the bottom of the Well. Extending into the well casing is thecustomary oil-string 14 and passing through the latter is thedrillstring 15 having a suitable drilling tool 16 attached to its lowerend. The oil and drill strings may likewise be constructed of pipesections and may be coupled by suitable collars, such for instance, asshown at 17 in Fig. 2.

Applied to the upper section of the water string 12 is a control casinghead 18 which is provided at its upper and lower ends with aliningscrew-threaded bores 19 and 20, respectively, the lower bore engagingthe threaded upper end of said water string. Intermediate these bores,the casing head has a plurality of transverse outlets 21 in its side fordirecting the oil and gas through lead pipes 22 to storage tanks, notshown. Screwed into the upper bore 19 is a clamping member or sleeve 23having a tapered seat 24 in the upper portion of its bore for receivingslips 25 from which the oil string 14 is suspended, as shown in Fig. 2.The lower portion of the casing head bore 19 is unthreaded as shown at26, Fig. 2, and terminates at its bottom in a downwardlybeveled seat 27,while the opposing bottom end of the sleeve 23 which terminates abovesaid seat 27, has an opposing upwardlybeveled seat 28. Fitted in theresulting space or chamber between these two seats is an annular packingor gasket 29 of rubber or other appropriate material which is shaped tofit properly in such space and which is preferably split transversely,as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The bores 19, 20 of the casing head areconnected by an opening or passage 31 through which the oil strlng 14:extends, the diameters of said bores and also the lower portion 32 of:the sleeve bore being somewhat larger in diameter than the oil-string toprovide a clearance and ermit the ready insertion and removal or suchstring, together with its coupling-collars 17, into and out of thecasing head. As shown in Fig. 2, the packing 29 extends into thisclearance and tits snugly against the exterior of the oil string toprevent the flow of oil and gas above the same. By screwing down on thesleeve 28, this packing is compressed tightly between the opposing seats27, 28, and is thereby reliably held against vertical movement relativeto the oil strin Means are also employed for adjusting thepacking 29radially into firm gripping engagement with the oil string. For thispurpose, said packing has an annular undercut groove or recess 33 forthe receptlon of a sectional ring consisting of a plurality of removablesegments 34, four of such segments being shown in the drawings. Thecasing head 18 carries a corresponding number of radial adjusting screws35, one for each packing-segment, the outer portions of these screwsengaging threaded openings 36 in said casing head while their inner endsor portions are unthreaded and free to turn in openings 37 in therespective segments. The front end of each adjusting screw is providedwith a circumferential groove 38 with which a locking pin 39 secured tothe corresponding segment 34 is adapted to engage. By this construction,the screws 35 are free to turn in the segments, but the latter arecompelled to move lengthwise with said screws for bringing the packing29 intoor out of engagement with the oil strin Aside from the advantageof affording a reliable seal for preventing the oil and gas fromshooting out at the mouth of the well during drilling operations, thelower face 40 of the packing 29 constitutes a stop or shoulder forguarding against upward displacement of the oil string 14 beyond it,under undue oil and gas pressure encountered while drilling. Under theseconditions, should the oil string be projected above its supportingslips 25, the coupling collar 17 below the acking will contact with thelower face. ot the latter and obstruct the further upward movement ofthe string, thus avoiding (possible damage to the well mechanism aninjury to workmen.

In attaching additional sections of the oil string from time to time asthe drilling proceeds, the sleeve 23 is unscrewed and the packing 29 isreleased from gripping engagement with the string by unscrewing theadjusting screws 35 sufliciently to bring the bore of the packing clearof the coupling nearest collars 17. This will then permit the collarsabove the packing to freely pass through the same when the string islowered with the additional section attached. Furthermore, this changecan be effected without loss of circulation of the customary mudladenfluid through the drill string 15.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 8, a similar casing head ll is attached to theupper end of the oil'string for preventing the drill strin 15 from beingaccidently forced by gas and oil pressure out of the well. This isidentical in construction with that previously dealt with and furtherdescription thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Contained in the upper end of the drill string and carried by a couplincollar 42, shown in Fig. 3, is a downwar ly opening valve 43 to which aspring 44: is applied for normally holding it in closed position. Thisvalve, while permitting the tree circulation of the mud-laden fluiddownwardly through the drill-string, prevents the oil from shooting outthrough the top of the well.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a well-drilling mechanism, the combination with two strings ofpipe arranged one within the other, of a casing head applied to the endof the outer string and having an opening therein terminating at itsbottom in a seat, a packing member arranged in said casing head aboutthe inner string and resting on said seat, means for withdrawing saidpacking member clear of said inner pipestring, and a clamping sleeveadjustably mounted in said casing head-opening for movement toward andfrom the upper side of said packing member.

2. In a well-drilling mechanism, the combination with two strings ofpipe arranged one within the other, of a casing head applied to the endof the outer string, a flexible packing member arranged in said casinghead and surrounding said inner string, said packing havin an annularundercut groove in its outer race, and radially-adjustable meansinterlocked with the groove of the packing member for bringin it intoengagement with or expanding it ell; pipe-string.

3. In a well-drilling mechanism, the combination with two strings ofpipe arranged one within the other, of a casing head applied to the endof the outer string, a flexible packing member arran ed in said casinhead and surrounding t e inner string 0% pipe, said packing memberhaving an annular undercut groove in its outer face, means for holdingsaid packing member against displacement lengthwise of the casing head,a. sectional ring interlocking with the groove of said packing memberand having radial openings therein, and radial ad'usting screws mountedon said casing bee and having their inner ends engaging thecorresponding er of the innerpacking member toward and from the innerpipe-string.

4. In a well drilling mechanism, the combination with two strings ofpipe arranged me within the other, of a casing head applied to the endof the outer string, and having an opening therein terminating at itsbottom in a seat, a com ressible packing member arranged in said casinghead about the inner string and resting on said seat, radiall adjustablemeans interlocked with said pac ing member for bringing it intoengagement with or expanding it clear of the inner pipestring, alongitudinally-adjustable clamping sleeve mounted in said casinghead-openin for engagement with the upper side of sai packing member,said sleeve having a tapered seat in the upper portion of its bore, andpipe-engagin slips for the inner pipe string arran ed in the taperedseat of said sleeve.

ENNIS L. DRISCOLL. GUSTAVUS A. MONTGOMERY.

